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“He’ll think that hehasto ask me, but he won’t want to. Nothing against me, but he and Slade have been best friends their whole lives, just like you and I have.”
Bentley smiled through pursed lips. “So, am I to take it that you’re only asking me to be your best man so that you can avoid putting your brother in a difficult situation?”
Jacob opened his mouth as if to protest. Then, he closed it again and shot Bentley an evil look. “Yes, that’s the only reason I’m asking you. So, would you do me a favor and help me out?”
Bentley laughed. “I’d be honored to. Have you guys set a date yet?”
“Why, are you worried about fitting me into your busy schedule?”
“Screw you!” Bentley shook his head at his friend. “You know damn well that’s not what I’m thinking. It’s just that I know you; I know you don’t like waiting – for anything. So, if you’re asking me to be your best man, it means the wedding is on your mind, and that means it’s coming soon. Am I right?”
“You are. We haven’t officially set a date yet. Becca is happy to go along with whatever happens.”
“She is? I thought brides were all about organizing the wedding, stressing over every little detail.”
Jacob laughed. “Becca’s not big on details – any kind of details, really. She’s happy for her mom and me to figure it all out.”
“Let me get this right – you and Becca’s mom are organizing the wedding?”
Jacob grinned. “We are, and don’t you dare repeat this to a soul, but I’m having so much fun. Darlene’s a hoot. I tell you, I totally lucked out with Becca’s family. Chuck, that’s her dad, has been talking with the gardener on the phone every week, making sure that the grounds are going to be just perfect. I think that’s going to be the deciding factor, we’ll name the day once I knowfor sure that the grounds are going to be the way I want them to be.”
Bentley smiled at him. “There’s no need to be coy about it. I know what you’re talking about – you mean that you’re not going to do it until the cornflowers are in bloom, right?”
Jacob narrowed his eyes at him. “I don’t know why I ever told you about that. But I’m fairly sure I also told you that you’re not allowed to give me any shit about it.”
Bentley laughed. “I’m not giving you shit; I think it’s cute.”
“Cute? Did you really say that?”
“Sweet? Is that any better?”
Jacob scowled at him. “No, it isn’t. That definitely counts as giving me shit, by the way.”
“Sorry, I’ll stop. I couldn’t resist. I think the whole cornflower thing is a great idea, I really do. If anything, I’m kind of envious that you came up with that. I don’t have anything like that.”
Jacob narrowed his eyes at him. “Are we going to talk about it then?”
Bentley didn’t even pretend to not know what he meant. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. But before you start in with the questions, I should tell you that I’m working on getting her to move here.”
Jacob cocked an eyebrow. “And when you say move here, you mean move in with you? Not just get her to take a job in Napa so that the two of you can be closer, right?”
“I do. We’re talking about her coming in to do an audit. Obviously, it makes sense for her to stay with me while she does that. Then, by the time she works her way through all the divisions, I’m hoping that she won’t ever want to go back.”
Jacob grinned at him. “Well, I can tell you now that if you get her out here, Becca will be a willing accomplice in getting her to stay. She chatted about Alyssa all day on Sunday. It seems that the two of them really hit it off.”
That made Bentley smile. “It does, doesn’t it? Alyssa was the same. She said that she liked everyone, but that she and Becca just clicked straightaway.”
“And your mom and her dad are okay with it? I can’t imagine how you felt when they showed up out of the blue like that on Sunday.”
“It wasn’t much fun at the time, but in the end, I’m glad it worked out that way. We didn’t just tell them over the phone and then have to wonder how they really felt afterward.” He shook his head with a smile. “I do think it was kind of sneaky of them, though, that they knew the whole time and didn’t say anything.”
Jacob laughed. “I can see what you mean, but it’s hardly fair, is it? You guys didn’t say anything to them, either.”
“I suppose.”
Jacob raised an eyebrow at him. “So, if … when, she comes out to work at the company, and you manage to persuade her to stay – which I’m sure you will; I saw the way the two of you are together, it’s inevitable if you ask me – are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”
Bentley met his gaze and smiled. “I think I’m thinking what you think I’m thinking.” He burst out laughing. “We used to be able to do that when we were kids and make it last all day, but that’s it, I’m out.”
